


Safe and Warm

by h_d



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Cecil Is Not Described, Cuddling & Snuggling, Daemons, Domestic Fluff, Explicit Consent, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-26 05:38:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1676717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/h_d/pseuds/h_d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cecil touches Carlos' daemon for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe and Warm

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very fluffy cuddling scene in which the characters have animal companions. Knowledge of the HDM universe isn't necessary to read it. In this world, everyone has a daemon, which is an animal which represents and functions as their soul or inner self. Generally, a person's daemon's gender is different from their own; many people think that anything else means a person is not heterosexual. 
> 
> You can read the relationship as sexual or asexual. The "explicit consent" tag refers to the cuddling, as there's no described or implied sex. Touching a person's daemon is a very intimate act which is unrelated to sex; it's not something that would be part of every relationship or of every sexual relationship. 
> 
> This moment takes place sometime between First Date and Condos.

"Carlos," Cecil asked. He sounded a little hesitant, which was unusual for him. "I wanted to ask you something. Is that okay?"

"What is it, Cecil? You can ask me anything," Carlos replied.

They were sitting together on the couch in Carlos' small apartment. Carlos' prairie dog daemon, Evie, was resting peacefully on a little pillow on the coffee table in front of them, while Cecil's small cat daemon, Eran, was stretched out on the floor near Cecil's feet, enjoying the warmth of the day's last few rays of sun. Carlos felt relaxed and happy with his head on Cecil's shoulder.

"Could I touch Evie, sometime? I've been admiring him since I met you," Cecil said. "It doesn't have to be now. If you prefer to wait until you know me better, I understand. Or if it makes you uncomfortable altogether, I won't ask again." His fingers continued to card slowly through Carlos' curly black hair. 

Carlos was fine with the idea, but he felt a sharp thrill of affection at how carefully Cecil had phrased the request. He'd obviously been considering how to ask for quite a long time. And—Carlos' mind caught up to Cecil's words. Had he just referred to Evie as "him?" No one knew that; no one _could_ know that. He pulled away, dislodging Cecil's hand and looking into his eyes in surprise.

"How did you know my daemon was male?" Carlos asked. "I've never said."

Cecil's eyes were warm as they met Carlos', but they did betray a hint of confusion. Cecil turned to look at Evie, who was now watching Cecil intently. He shrugged. "I've always known, from the first time you and I spoke. Daemons are a lot of different genders, just like with people, of course," he said, as though these were the most obvious facts imaginable.

Carlos shook his head a little. Even after over a year of knowing Cecil and several months of dating him, his gentle acceptance still amazed Carlos. "How did you know? I don't usually speak to him around other people. I don't like it when other people hear his voice," he said. 

"I—can't really explain how I knew, but I usually do. It's never surprised anyone before. And you know how much I admired you," Cecil said, looking down shyly. Oh yes, Carlos remembered Cecil's very public crush all too well. Cecil's hand returned to Carlos' head, smoothing his hair back from his forehead. "But why would you hide any part of you, beautiful Carlos?" 

"My parents," he said. "They didn't want anyone to know." He remembered his mother and father insisting, long before Carlos' first day of kindergarten, that no one must ever know. Carlos had to call his daemon "Evie," they said, and Evie should only be seen and never heard. Only in the quiet of Carlos' bedroom at night did he allow himself to talk over the day's events with his daemon. Somehow, the habit had continued into adulthood. It didn't bother Carlos at all anymore. Carlos and Evie were both observers by nature, after all, and they'd learned to say a great deal to each other with just a glance or a nuzzle. 

Cecil was still peering at Carlos in confusion, his dark eyebrows knitted together and his forehead furrowed in an adorable way, but Carlos didn't really want to explain in any great detail. He'd made his own peace with it long ago. He reached out, clasping Cecil's left hand between both of his own and rubbing softly. He wasn't sure how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Some people just don't like those who are different," Carlos said after a few long moments. "I'm glad you're not like that, Cecil."

At that, Cecil's expression cleared a bit, and he smiled again. "My daemon is male, too, you know," he said. Carlos did know. He'd been surprised the first time Cecil had shared Eran's insights with him, careless with pronouns; even in public, Cecil and Eran often talked together, and Eran's voice was low in pitch. "But everyone's seen a cat before. I'd never seen anything quite like Evie, before you came to Night Vale. And he's such a wonderful creature! Always watching and listening and twitching his whiskers." Cecil beamed at Evie, who was indeed listening to their conversation, head cocked and eyes rapt.

Carlos laughed quietly. "Thank you. Actually, there are a lot of wild prairie dogs where I'm from. But you're right. I've never met anyone else who had one as a daemon before, either."

Carlos untangled his hands from Cecil's and reached forward to pluck Evie from his pillow. He placed him on his lap and stroked his back with one finger, starting between his eyes and continuing to his tail. Evie was soft and warm, and touching him comforted Carlos in a different way than touching Cecil did. 

"It's okay with you if Cecil touches you, isn't it, Evie?" Carlos asked. Carlos' voice was quiet, almost whispering, as it took on the usual tone he reserved for speaking to Evie. 

Evie was enjoying the attention, and his small body was pliant and almost flat along Carlos' left thigh. He blinked. "Yes, that would be fine," he said, with a little huff, as though any other discussion on the matter would ruin his relaxation.

Carlos looked back at Cecil, who was still smiling happily at Evie. "He has a very nice voice," Cecil said. "Is Evie his true name?"

 _How did Cecil always know these things?_ Carlos thought.

"No," Carlos whispered. "It's Evaristo." 

"That's lovely. Beautiful Carlos and beautiful Evaristo!" Cecil said. No one but Carlos had ever spoken his daemon's name aloud before, and it affected Carlos strongly in a way he hadn't expected and didn't have many words for. _Known_ , he thought. _I feel known_. Cecil's hand had made it to Carlos' right knee, not far from where Evie lay. He looked up at Carlos, his eyes questioning.

"It's okay, Cecil," he said. "I trust you." Evie rolled over only a little and moved closer to sniff at Cecil's fingers. 

Carlos was watching Cecil's face. When Evie moved away, Cecil looked crushed, but Carlos knew Evie's intention. Evie spoke again. "If you move back a bit, I can sit on your lap, Cecil."

Cecil's bright smile returned as he moved to comply.

Evie hopped from Carlos' leg directly into Cecil's lap. He really was a very agile creature. Cecil held his hands flat against the couch, watching as Evie smelled the fabric of his pant leg, then settled down. Cecil kept waiting.

While others had touched Evie, no one else had asked permission first, and Evie had never made the first move toward contact. Carlos clasped Cecil's left hand, bringing it to his lips and placing a kiss on the palm, then releasing it. "We want you to," Carlos said gently. 

Cecil repeated the slow, one-finger stroke that Carlos had done before. Carlos could feel it, too. It didn't feel wrong or uncomfortable, as it often had for Carlos in the past. He felt safe, protected, and content. Carlos rested his head against Cecil's shoulder again, both watching and feeling it as Cecil's hand slowly stretched out and encompassed all of Evie's body with his petting. Evie made a soft sound of pleasure.

Cecil knew Carlos loved him; he had told him (and the whole town) many times. But it seemed so much larger and more powerful at this moment than it ever had before, as Carlos and Evie basked in Cecil's bright warmth. Still, he reflected, not much would change, from the perspective of an outside observer. He had never wanted to speak to Evie in the lab or out on the street, and he didn't want to now. The changes would be far more personal. He could imagine coming home to Cecil every night, talking his discoveries over with Evie while Cecil got dinner ready. He could imagine many more days and nights like this one, falling asleep and waking up together. 

Eran jumped onto the couch and settled in on Cecil's other side, the last sunlight gone for the day. Carlos' eyes started to close as Cecil continued to stroke Evie, and soon all four of them slipped into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic wasn't inspired by any of the other wonderful HDM AUs in this (or any) fandom. I just pictured this scene and decided to write it out. I don't know if it's accurate, but I've always imagined that daemons spoke in adult voices, even when their humans are children. Also, voice and gender certainly don't always correlate, but in this fic, Evie and Eran both sound male and are male.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading!


End file.
